So you got a nice new DSLR for Christmas, and it can take impressive HD video too! That said, you'll probably notice that simultaneous zooming and refocusing is less than ideal. A new Nikon lens patent aims to fix that.
While such a lens is unsurprising, given the incredible interest in DSLR filmmaking these days, it is nevertheless very welcome (should it see the light of day).
Should the lens land in prosumers' hands, they can expect an experience that will involve a single lens that can zoom by hand (manual mode) or automatically in its movie/video-making mode. Again, such a lens is not surprising in the least, but it's still great to see Nikon R&D putting design to paper. [Egami via Nikon Rumors via Engadget]
Toshiba building new factory to churn out iPhone LCDs, says Nikkei
Word on the street -- and by that we mean a Nikkei Business Daily report -- is that Toshiba's dropping a cool 100 billion yen (around $1.2 billion in US currencies) for a new factory in the Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. Its raison d'être? Low-temperature polysilicon LCD panels, primarily for the iPhone (no indication on which version; Apple is said to be investing in a portion of the factory, as well). Construction begins early next year and production is apparently slated to commence in the second half. More than enough time to stockpile unicorn tears for the assembly line.
In a hurry to share the full-resolution versions of your photos with several web-connected devices? Eye-Fi has a solution. Turns out that the company behind the wireless memory cards we know and love has a clever new photo-sharing service.
Basically all you'll do is log on to the Eye-Fi site and view your uploaded photos. You'll have the ability to share photos or albums with trusted contacts and to create download links. There's no charge for sharing photos uploaded to the site within a seven day window, but anything beyond that will require you to upgrade to a $50/year premium service.
VIEW AND SHARE DIGITAL MEMORIES ANYWHERE, ANYTIME WITH EYE-FI VIEW
New System and Email Feature Let People Quickly Show Off and Share Content on Multiple Devices
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 27, 2010 - Eye-Fi Inc. (www.eye.fi), best known as makers of the world's first wireless memory card, today launched Eye-Fi View, giving consumers a new way to access their photos and videos from virtually any computer or mobile device. Along with Eye-Fi View, Eye-Fi also introduced a new email-sharing feature, allowing direct, private sharing of full-resolution images without clogging inboxes or requiring viewers to login.
"When we released the first Eye-Fi card three years ago, we solved the fundamental problem of getting pictures off the camera and onto computers and online sharing sites. As we enter the biggest photo-sharing season of the year – Halloween to Christmas – we're delivering an even easier way for people to view and share photos from any device, with more control than ever," said Jef Holove, President and CEO of Eye-Fi. "Photos and videos of the kids trick-or-treating can be easily emailed to grandma and shown off on dad's iPad"
When it comes to photography, viewing the images is the point, and more devices – from netbooks to smartphones to tablets – create more ways consumers want to view and show their memories. With Eye-Fi View, this content is now accessible from virtually any Internet connected device and can be viewed and shared at home, at the office, or on the road.
Whether selecting certain photos to share on public sites like Facebook or Flickr, or privately sharing several images or full albums with trusted email contacts, Eye-Fi makes it easy. By simply logging into their Eye-Fi account from any device, users can view photos, publish them on the web, or share them via email.
"There are many sites on which pictures and videos can be shared. But even in this age of social media, email remains the most popular method of sharing among consumers," added Holove. "With our unique approach to email sharing, Eye-Fi is extending its ease of use capabilities to customers who want to email their photos. Because, put simply, photos are created to view."
With Eye-Fi's email feature, users select contacts from their own address book, and recipients – whether Eye-Fi users or not – can easily download full-resolution images through a single link, without worrying about overwhelming their inbox.
Pricing and Availability
With the latest Eye-Fi Center release, Eye-Fi X2 card users can automatically send content to their Eye-Fi View. Access to content uploaded within the last seven days is always free. Upgrade to Eye-Fi Premium to maintain access to an unlimited amount of content for only $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. All Eye-Fi users can take advantage of the new email sharing feature.
Eye-Fi products are now available at Wal-Mart stores nationwide. Wal-Mart is the latest national retailer to feature Eye-Fi, following the addition of Target earlier this year. Availability beyond electronics and photography outlets underscores the expanding consumer demand for Eye-Fi's unique solution. Additionally, Eye-Fi's international users can now subscribe to all Eye-Fi services including Eye-Fi Premium. For more information, visit www.eye.fi.
The iPhone 4's Retina Display is 3.5 inches, with a resolution of 960x640 and a pixel density of 326ppi. Pretty much everyone agrees it looks great. So how incredible must ORTUS's new 4.8-inch, 1,920×1080, 458ppi display look?
ORTUS, a collaborative venture between Casio and Toppan Printing, announced the Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT (HAST) display today in Japan. The company claims it's up to 30% brighter than other TFT displays, capable of producing 16.8 million colors and has a viewing angle of 160 degrees.
But if the Retina Display, as Apple claims, is pushing up against the threshold for the human eye, is ORTUS's added pixel density really that important? I'm reserving judgment until I can watch Dark Knight on the thing. [CrunchGear]
I’ve always got my eyes peeled for unique watches for you guys, and this is definitely one of the cooler high-tech timepieces I’ve seen in a while.
Seiko Japan’s new SDGA001, SDGA002 and SDGA003 watches feature the world’s first active matrix electrophoretic display (EPD). This display technology is similar to what you might find in a high-end e-reader, capable of producing sharp, 300 dot-per-inch images with a 180-degree viewing angle.
Thanks to the ultra high-res display, the watches can display time in a variety of fonts and on-screen styles – my personal favorite being the deck of cards style:
The watches offer a 32-city world time capability, and can automatically be synchronized via radio signal. Each one comes in a sturdy stainless steel case, with a durable sapphire crystal. Battery power is recharged through an integral solar panel, offering about 30 months of display time on a full charge. There’s also LED illumination for viewing the time in darkened rooms.
Prices for the watches range from ¥94,500 to ¥105,000 (appx. $1127 to $1253 USD), so unless you’re loaded, you’re going to want to wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation versions before you start cashing your dollars for yen.